


Too Loud

by Icelette



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Sentinels & Guides, Alternate Universe - Sentinels and Guides Are Known, M/M, Sentinel Senses, Sentinel/Guide, Sentinel/Guide Bonding, cameo by Kuroo Tetsurou
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-22
Updated: 2019-02-10
Packaged: 2019-08-27 15:51:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16705336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Icelette/pseuds/Icelette
Summary: As a fledgling Guide, Bokuto Koutarou has always been told that he was too loud.To Akaashi, however, he was just perfect.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [teaene](https://archiveofourown.org/users/teaene/gifts).



> This is my first attempt at a Haikyuu fic, a BokuAka fic, as well as a Sentinelverse fic. For those who are unfamiliar with the Sentinelverse (one of my favorite AUs), here's a quick primer: http://themadkatter13fanfiction.tumblr.com/post/113352159488/au-basics-sentinelverse
> 
> Written for my friend who requested Guide!Bokuto.
> 
> Please enjoy.

If you approached anyone who had just come away from their first meeting with Bokuto and Akaashi and asked, which of them is the Sentinel, and which of them is the Guide, most people would tell you, Bokuto is the Sentinel and Akaashi is the Guide.

If they played, or were familiar with the world of volleyball, they would tell you that while it was not rare for a Sentinel not to be playing setter, it was unconventional for a Guide to be playing that position when there are Sentinels on the team.

But they would tell you that Akaashi's instincts for setting were second to no Sentinel, and above all, his ability to control his Sentinel and draw out the loud owl's full talents on the court proved to be invaluable to the Fukuroodani team.

They were all wrong, because they had never seen Akaashi play without Bokuto.

Well, they were not wrong about Akaashi being different, or about his skill as a setter, but anyone who thinks Akaashi was the one drawing out the best from Bokuto knew nothing.

It was the opposite, and it was becoming clearer and clearer with every second that this match was going on.

With Bokuto subbed out and sent to the infirmary having landed on his foot wrong after a spike, Fukuroodani was spiraling quite quickly into a desperate situation. Akaashi tuned up his hearing and sight to better judge how to compensate for their missing ace, and his touch to increase the accuracy of his tosses.

_Higher, faster, over the opponent's blocks, where they'd never expect, listen, Keiji, how do they move, who do they think you're sending it to, how are they reacting…_

Every breath of his teammates was a clue to how ready his weapons were, and every screech of shoes on the court told him where his enemies were. All he had to do was process that information, to strategize, and adapt to the absence of his most formidable, most familiar, and most reliable weapon.

A million sensations stemmed into a billion thoughts, and his head began struggling to catch up to all of them. Time slowed to a halt. The ball remained in the air. _What is happening? Why is no one moving? Where are the blocks? Where's my spiker?_

_Where is Bokuto-san?_

“KEIJIIIIIII! I'M HERE!”

As if a key has been slotted into place in Akaashi's brain, the gears in his mind that have grinded to a halt began turning again, and the ball started to drop into his hands. He could see now, with clarity. Yes, it was time to send the ball to the other side of the court.

 

* * *

 

Needless to say, Akaashi joined Bokuto on the bench right after that point. A Sentinel was required to sit out of a game for at least half an hour after coming out of a zone. In fact, their coach blamed himself for not subbing Akaashi out the moment Bokuto had been sent off. It was a foolish decision, made from a mix of desperation and confidence that the setter would perform just fine.

But he could hardly be blamed, either, for none of the Fukuroodani members nor their teachers have ever seen Akaashi on the court without Bokuto being in the same hall at once. They could never have known just how deep their bond went, nor just how dependent the setter was on his Guide.

Now that the two of them were standing in the reserves area, huddled together, it was clear. At one glance, Bokuto was wrapped all around Akaashi, as if personally blocking the world from reaching his Sentinel with his larger body. Akaashi seemed to be making full use of his own smaller stature to slot himself as far within his Guide's embrace, anchoring all his senses on the presence of his Guide.

On a closer look, however, one would be able to tell that Bokuto's weight was actually being supported by Akaashi. His crutch laid near the coach bench, out of the way. The other reserved members of the team formed a protective circle around the pair, as if to shield them from prying eyes.

Whether that had helped or not was a secret to everyone but the Sentinel, but he returned to the court in better shape than before, and helped Fukuroodani steal back the final set.

 

* * *

 

Whenever anyone found out that Bokuto was the Guide in their bond, their first thought would undeniably be, _but how?_

Bokuto was uncharacteristically loud for a Guide. Anyone could tell that from seconds of meeting him, with or without Akaashi present. No matter where they were, he was always vying for his Sentinel’s attention, calling out his name more often than necessary.

“Keiji, did you see my super straight spike!?” or “Keiji… I failed my math mid-terms… Comfort meeee…” or “I need new volleyball shoes, Keiji, come with me to the mall on saturday!!”

And he was not the only one who sought Akaashi’s attention, even if he was the only one who got it in the end. Akaashi’s natural beauty and cool attitude made him the object of many Guides’ desires, and the bravest of them, as well as the most ill-informed of them, would approach him asking for him to consider them as his Guide.

“I’m sorry, but I’m already bonded with a Guide,” was always how he would reply.

Unwilling to give up without a fight, they would press on. _Who is it?_

“My captain.”

Those who did not know whom he referred to would give up, believing they had no chance. Those who did, however, suddenly felt like they had a chance. If they could not get Akaashi to break the bond on his own, they could attack from the other side.

Thus, Bokuto often found himself called out to the back of the school. Well, sometimes Guides would call him out after watching his matches and mistaking him for a Sentinel. Once in a while, however, he would get Guides calling him out to try to intimidate him into breaking his bond with Akaashi.

The conversation typically went like this:

“I hear you're the Guide bonded to Akaash-san?” Depending on the speaker, the suffix behind Akaashi's name varied.

Bokuto, cheerful as ever, would perk up at the mention of his Sentinel. “Yep! Do you know Akaashi? He's an amazing Sentinel and a great setter! He always sets to me when I want it!”

“If he's such a great Sentinel, don't you think he deserves a Guide who suits him?”

The Guide would then take Bokuto's silence as a cue that their words are hitting the right soft spots. Apparently, the volleyball team captain was also insecure about his place beside Akaashi. This would work in their favor. This is all for Akaashi's good, they remind themselves, purposely ignoring the waves of what they assume is sadness rolling off their fellow Guide.

“Bokuto-san, right? I mean no offense, but I don't think you're a very good Guide, and I think deep down, you agree with me. You must know very well that you're louder than a Guide should be, and your appearance is too stimulating for a Sentinel's senses.

With every accusation, Bokuto's mood drops, and his fidgeting becomes more and more evident.

“Playing volleyball means you will be sweating more than a normal Guide, which makes your scent come out more, and the calluses I'm sure form on your hands will also aggravate your Sentinel's sense of touch.

“How could you ever hope to anchor Akaashi-san's senses, let alone bring him out of a zone?” The Guide would wrap up their argument by driving the final nail in the coffin.

Then, they would lean back, as if leaving Bokuto to come to his own conclusion regarding what he should do. Ideally, he would be as smart as people say he is, and volunteer to leave Akaashi. Otherwise…

“Akaashi loves me for who I am. He loves my loudness, he loves my spikes, he loves playing volleyball with me. He’s said so many times.”

“Are you sure? Because it sounds to me like he’s trying to convince himself that he’s made the right choice, binding himself to you. After all, you and I both know that only Guides can break a bond.”

Bokuto would shake his head vigorously. “Why would I be the wrong choice? I’m one of Japan’s top five aces! And we bonded almost immediately after we met, almost right after he awakened - it’s proof of how compatible we are!”

“That just means he was desperate then. He was a lost Sentinel, latching onto the first Guide in sight and settling for them. And that just so happened to be you.”

“But he loves me! He always tells me that, after-”

“After Guides like you try to intimidate him into leaving me.”

A third voice interrupts the Guides. Bokuto would look up - when did he start looking down at his feet? - but the familiar voice already sang in his ears, cluing him in on the new arrival. The other Guide would also look towards the source of the voice, then sputter out, “You called him here!? How dare you!?”

“No, how dare _you_ insult my Guide?” Akaashi would walk over to Bokuto, slotting himself between his Guide and the stranger while simultaneously pressing his back against Bokuto’s chest, hoping his own touch would sooth the Guide. He was not trying to anchor Bokuto’s senses like a Guide would do for a zoning Sentinel, but rather to reassure Bokuto that he was now there, and there was nothing to fear anymore. Akaashi was here, and he was on Bokuto’s side. Now, and forever.

“Akaashi…”

“It’s alright, Bokuto-san, I got this.” He would then train his gaze on the Guide in front of him. His tone was gentle - Akaashi was considered gentle for a Sentinel, and he had already reined in his anger from half a minute ago. Nevertheless, his words left no room for argument.

“Let me make this clear, even though neither of us owe you any explanation or justification, that I am happily bonded with Bokuto-san, as Sentinel and Guide. Even if I hadn’t met him when I did, I would never have settled for another Guide.”

 

* * *

 

Akaashi always considered it his good fortune that he had only awoken as a Sentinel in high school, and even then, in the vicinity of Bokuto. It happened during the first volleyball team practice in his first year. He had just walked into the gymnasium, after feeling slightly queasy the whole day during classes. On hindsight, those were presages of his awakening, as his senses slowly sharpened throughout the day without his knowledge or consent.

The moment he set foot in the gym, however, the sights - every little stubborn sweat stain on the floor, every tassel of the slightly faded maroon curtain hanging from the ceiling on stage - the sounds - of his soon-to-be teammates chatting amongst themselves, of their heartbeats quickening in excitement at the entrance of a new potential teammate (him) - the smells (remnants of the soapy water used to mop the floor just one, no, two days ago), the feel of his two-year-old volleyball shoes through his socks, all these sensations invaded his senses at once.

And then he was down.

He had no recollection of what happened up to the point he returned to the world, but from Bokuto’s recount (backed by the eyewitness accounts of countless other members), several Guides had tried to pull him out of his very first zone, but Bokuto had stayed back, shushing the Sentinels present.

According to these accounts, none of the Guides had succeeded, but one of them had noticed his hand weakly grabbing at thin air, and when he looked in the direction it pointed at, his gaze arrived at Bokuto’s still body. Bokuto had a hand over his mouth, likely to silence himself - he knew that he was a loud person, everyone seemed to keep reminding him. It would be bad if they lost a potential new member because of him.

But the Guide gestured for the spiker to come over. The closer Bokuto got, the quicker Akaashi’s hand seemed to claw, and once the Guide was in range, the hand latched onto his wrist, jerking him forward and downwards with strength that is surprising for a Sentinel in zone.

The other Guides backed away slowly, herding the Sentinels out of the hall with hand signs rather than speech. Thinking back on it now, thought, they realized that they could have all run off squawking like seagulls and it wouldn’t have made a difference. Akaashi’s senses have all but zoned in on Bokuto’s presence, now that the Guide was lying on top of him (a fortune position resulting from a haphazard jerk) and literally shielding him from the world.

Bokuto was uncharacteristically quiet, his body stiff as it laid on top of the Sentinel. Unexpectedly, however, Akaashi fought through his slowly receding zone to force the next words out with a raspy voice. “Ta...lk… to me…”

So Bokuto talks. He introduces himself, talks about how he loves volleyball, how he wants to be the ace of the team despite his awkward position within the current team - they called him an unknown variable. He wonders aloud what Akaashi’s name was, that it must be a very pretty name to match his very pretty face and hair; he wonders what position Akaashi would play, hopefully setter, and he recalls that they were getting a first year setter, from the application forms they had received during orientation.

Never before had Bokuto ever worked to bring a Sentinel out of a zone. It was not as though it was a rare occurrence - Sentinels came online every other day around their age, and Guides around would all have to aid in bringing them out of their first zone, regardless of whether they were their fated Guide or not. Bokuto had always been instructed to stand on the sidelines, deemed too loud, in every sense of the word, for a Sentinel’s sensitive faculties. It goes without saying, therefore, that Bokuto had no idea what he was doing. He tried to recall what he had learned during their specialized classes, during the week on zoning.

Something about… anchoring… all senses… All the senses? Humans had five senses… Sight, smell, hearing, touch and… taste.

How did one go about anchoring a Sentinel’s sense of taste? He wracks his brain for memories of all the times he had watched the other Guides working on a newly-awoken Sentinel classmate’s first zone.

He does not recall having ever seen anyone slip anything in the zoned Sentinels’ mouths… But there had always been a whole crowd of Guides gathered around, he could never see what was going on clearly.

An idea darted across his mind, and he was so tempted to just shoot it down, but that was the only one he had so far. And if he had to lose his first kiss to someone as pretty as the Sentinel below him now, then, well, he supposed his own future Sentinel would forgive him for it.

Mind made up, Bokuto leaned down and presses his lips against the unnamed Sentinel’s lips. Gently, he guides the other’s lips open, until he can slip his tongue in to find its companion. Akaashi’s tongue was unresponsive, much like the rest of his other muscles, but Bokuto forgave him on the grounds that he was, quite literally, zoned.

Bokuto’s tongue maneuvers around Akaashi’s, licking the top of his mouth, stroking the taste buds on the top side of his tongue, then finding its way below to caress the other side. It was a systematic way of ensuring Akaashi’s sense of taste was focused on him, even if the words “systematic” and “Bokuto” hardly ever go together in one sentence.

All of a sudden, Akaashi’s tongue jerks to life, retreats inwards, then darts forward to tangle with Bokuto’s. A moan escapes the Sentinel’s throat, a sure sign that he was alive and kicking again.

And then his eyes open to reveal blue-green orbs. Bokuto unintentionally pulls away from the kiss to get a better look at them. They stare into each others’ eyes, one still dazed and the other fascinated.

“Uh… I can explain.” It suddenly occurred to Bokuto that he was lying on top of Akaashi, and caught kissing him. Thinking Akaashi might not appreciate that, he hastily flails and tries to climb off, but finds himself unable to.

Akaashi’s arms were wrapped tight around his waist (when had they gotten there?), keeping him in place. And in his raspy voice, the Sentinel speaks.

“Bond with me.”

 

* * *

 

Akaashi would not go into the story of how they had met and bonded. He would not even explain how his senses were more heightened than the average Sentinel’s, or how an average Guide would never have been able to anchor his senses.

Instead, he would recall one of their previous accusations.

“What you said before, about settling? I did not settle for Bokuto-san, I was blessed that he was there for me when I came online. Therefore I’m sorry, I cannot return your feelings. I kindly ask you to refrain from harassing me or my Guide in the future, or I cannot say for certain what I would do.”

At this, almost all the Guides who had come this far would silently nod and shuffle away in shame. Very rarely did things escalate to the point of violence, or alerting a teacher.

Each and every time after something like this happens, however, Akaashi would turn to face Bokuto, meeting his slightly higher gaze and telling him, “I’m sorry I came late.”

Bokuto would shake his head, spirits lifted since his Sentinel’s arrival. They would walk back to Bokuto’s classroom to collect his bag, then head home or head to practice. In his usual boisterous manner, the third-year Guide would say, “Thanks for coming, Keiji, but I had it all under control! If you came just two minutes later, you would have seen how I invalidated all their arguments! Is that the right way to use the word ‘invalidate’?”

When Akaashi laughed at how adorable his 185cm-tall Guide gets trying to utilize new vocabulary, Bokuto would suddenly turn stop mid-step, pinching Akaashi’s sleeve-end until the Sentinel turned around to face him before saying, with a serious face,

“I’m your Guide - I will never leave you.”

Naturally, Akaashi would surge up into Bokuto’s embrace, and their lips would meet in a kiss as deep as their bond went.

Bokuto was different from the other Guides. Bokuto was loud. But with one shout of Akaashi’s name, he was able to drown out all the rest of the white noise assaulting the Sentinel’s ears. When he came into sight, it was as if all the light rays in the world converged on him, eclipsing everything else in Akaashi’s eyes.

And Akaashi would never ask him to change.


	2. The Best

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I have gotten a few requests for extra content for this work, so I decided to flesh out some more parts of their relationship and dynamics. Hope you all enjoy Bokuto being his ridiculous self!

The Tower of Tokyo was different from the Tokyo Tower. One was the government office of Sentinel-Guide affairs, whereas the other was a gigantic metal frame painted red that tourists liked to take pictures with.

Akaashi and Bokuto were now at the former to get the newly-awakened Sentinel tested and registered. They were being accompanied by Akaashi's homeroom teacher and his mother, who had taken emergency leave from work to rush to his school upon hearing of his awakening. The two adults were currently in the office doing some paperwork for him.

“... and oh! Our school made it all the way to Nationals last year! I'm sure we'll do it again this year, but this year it'll be different! I'm going to be the ace, and we're gonna WIN NATIONALS!”

Akaashi nodded. “I see. Bokuto-san is a regular then?”

Bokuto chirped, “Nope, but I will make it this year, I swear. Say, Akaashi, you're a setter, right? Will you set for me? We can practice lots and both make it on as regulars like a combo! Maybe after we get your senses settled, we can go back to school and practice? Oh, but you probably want to rest…”

“We could have just bonded, Bokuto-san. That would have gotten all my senses under control immediately.”

Bokuto waved him off. “Nah. I might not remember much from Guide classes, but I do remember the teacher saying that a Sentinel’s first zone might result in them imprinting on the Guide who brought them out of it. That’s why you’re still zoning if I’m not with you.

“But don’t worry! They’ll give you suppressants soon, and then we can play volleyball with the others!”

Akaashi frowned. He did feel a connection with Bokuto, but it did not feel like a mere imprint. An imprint was easily broken. He was not sure what he and Bokuto had was anything less than at least semi-permanent.

It felt like they were just one step away from a full-fledged bond.

He did not press the subject, though. If Bokuto did not want to enter a bond with him, he must have his reasons. Forcing him would make neither of them happy.

That was not to say that Akaashi was giving up. No, he would find out exactly what this connection he had with Bokuto was, and he intended on fully pursuing the bond with the Guide. He may be a new Sentinel, but he was sure his instincts would not lie to him if it screamed “Guide!” at him every time he looked at Bokuto.

“Akaashi Keiji?”

Bokuto practically sprang out of his seat, as though it had been his name which was called, earning the fourth disapproving glare from a Guide seated near them. ( _Like, seriously, what was this Sentinel doing, making so much noise in a place where new and vulnerable Sentinels gathered? Was he dumb? And why wasn’t that Guide stopping him?_ ) Akaashi, on the other hand, stood up calmly and made his way to the doctor, not-quite-Guide trailing after him.

“We’re ready for your levels testing.”

 

* * *

 

“So, Bokuto, I heard you got a Sentinel out of a zone! Who’s the unlucky kid?”

“Rude, Kuroo! I’ll have you know I got Akaashi out of a zone just fine!”

“Oho, so the kid’s name is Akaashi, huh?”

“He’s not a kid, he’s my junior in school! And he joined our team as a setter!”

“Interesting. So, how’d you do it? How did you manage to calm yourself down enough to approach him?”

“That’s the thing, I didn’t have to at all! One minute a bunch of our Guides was gathered around him, trying to pull him out, and the next, one of them called me over and left us alone… According to him, Akaashi was almost unconsciously reaching out to me…”

“Interesting. Have you guys bonded yet, then?”

“No... “

“Why not? It sounds to me like you guys are made for each other.”

“But that’s the thing, Kuroo, I’ve always been told how horrible I am as a Guide. What if it was a fluke? Akaashi tested 5 on the sensitivity scale! His senses might just have picked up the loudest thing in the vicinity then, and there’s no guarantee that would work again! Not to mention he’s a Level 4 Sentinel overall! How can I ever match up to him!?”

“... Did you conveniently forget that you’re a Level 4 Guide too, you stupid owl?”

“Only because my shields are strong! Even the army doesn’t want me for that!”

“So your shields are perfect for protecting this Akaashi from the world!”

“But not from me! His finesse level is 4! He’ll be able to hear everything over the bond if we bonded!”

“Look, man, I’m going to be honest with you. I think you should give it a try. Talk to him, get to know him. Like you said, he’s the first Sentinel who hasn’t shied away from you because of your inherent… liveliness.”

“That’s not true, there’s my mom…”

“Shut up, let me finish. And your mom’s bonded, she’s got your dad’s shields protecting her all the time. Anyway, my point is, you should at least find out what allowed you to pull him out of the zone when the others had failed to. Even if you two don’t end up bonding, you can at least learn to hone your skills as a Guide. Goodness knows you need all the help you can get, falling asleep in Guide classes.”

“That was one time!”

“Staring out of the window doesn’t count! Neither does doodling in your notebook! Just because there are no exams for that class...”

 

* * *

 

Like it or not, Akaashi and Bokuto were forced to spend time with each other when the volleyball coach paired them up. “Akaashi, I want you to train with Bokuto and form a combination. He has great potential, I can feel it, but our current setter is a third year, and too set in his ways to adapt to one player.”

Which brought them to this very moment, a setter doing set-and-spike practice with a future ace spiker.

“Just a little higher, Akaashi.”

Akaashi nodded, picking up another ball.

The gymnasium was already empty save them two, to the Sentinel’s relief. Testing a level 5 for sensitivity meant that he was automatically provided suppressants (by the Tower) to control his senses up till he bonds with a compatible Guide. It allowed him to go for classes, buy lunch in a crowded cafeteria, and walk home without zoning every other step. Suppressants also freed Bokuto from having to follow him around everywhere. Not that it mattered much, now that they had been paired up in volleyball. During regular practice, however, they had to practice and do drills with the rest of the team, so they could only work on their combination after practice. This often ended up with them staying quite late.

Akaashi was thankful for that, really. The suppressants were not perfect - while they suppressed his senses to a manageable level, a gymnasium full of people and twice the number of squeaking shoes was bound to grate on them after a while. Getting alone time with Bokuto allowed him reprieve with his not-quite-Guide.

He had yet to find out what it was they had between them. The suppressants had also made the quasi-connection between them disappear. Akaashi was not sure he liked that. Nevertheless, he could not help but feel more at ease when it was just him and Bokuto.

“-kaashi? Akaashi? Hello?”

“Yes, Bokuto-san?”

“Are you alright? Should we call it a night?”

Akaashi surveyed the gym, eyes sweeping over the collection of balls on the other side of the court, then landing on the empty trolley beside him. He looked down the ball he must have been holding for quite a while, tossed it lightly in the air, then set it.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Bokuto’s expression light up, his tongue sticking out in concentration. He saw Bokuto’s eyes track the ball as it flew to him, tracing out a parabola in mid-air, and his arms flying behind him as he prepared to jump.

And then he did. He leaped into the air, right hand making contact with the ball as it slowed to its peak, changing its vector and sending it over the net and straight towards the floor on the other side.

Bokuto’s shoes squeaked a little as he landed on the balls of his feet. Silence reigned for just a split second, before Akaashi found himself buried in Bokuto’s embrace.

“Did you see that, Akaashi? That awesome, super cross-court shot!? It was awesome! It felt awesome!”

_Note to self: teach Bokuto-san more vocabulary than “awesome”._

But Akaashi felt it, the vague connection between them flaring to life for just a single moment, when they were completely in sync.

Imagine the things they could do if they were bonded.

 

* * *

 

From that day on, it was like Bokuto had stopped holding part of himself back. Whenever they saw each other, he would bombard Akaashi with all of his boisterous, infective joy.

If they so much as passed in the hallways, he would shout, “Akaashi!” as he skipped over, drop an arm over his shoulder, asking, “What class are you going for now? Wait, don’t tell me. Let me guess, is it home economics?”

“How could you tell?” Akaashi would gesture to the standard-issued school apron he was holding and ask, sarcastic words void of any actual barb.

Luckily, or otherwise, Bokuto would not take it to heart, grinning widely as he skipped back to join his classmates before he was late to his own class.

During lunchtime, Bokuto would go to Akaashi’s classroom to drag him to the gymnasium. They would practice for the first forty-five minutes of lunch, clean up for five, then wolf down their rice balls in five minutes while cursing themselves for not limiting their practice to thirty minutes like they’d planned, yet again, and dashing back to their respective classrooms.

After school, either of them would go fetch the other at their classroom where the last class took place. Bokuto was very proud of himself for memorizing where Akaashi had his class before lunch and his last class for every day of the week, but little did he know, Akaashi had memorized Bokuto’s whole schedule. He had the Guide’s timetable on his desk in his homeroom and brought a spare with him to put on his desk when he had to move classrooms. This was just in case his suppressants ever failed, and his classmates needed to go fetch the who seems to be the only Guide to be able to anchor his unbonded senses. After staring at that one piece of paper day after day, it just became ingrained in his mind.

On this particular Thursday, Akaashi had been walking the usual path from his classroom to the chemistry labs located in the science building to collect Bokuto. The science building was on the far east side of the school grounds, completely in the opposite direction of the gym. It was also quite isolated from the building where normal classrooms were, in case of fire, Akaashi supposed. Even so, he was sure Bokuto would still not be done by the time he reached, even if he strolled. Such was the unpredictability of chemistry experiments: if you screwed up once, you'd have to start from scratch, and Bokuto's teacher was very strict about them finishing up the experiment before leaving. That was exactly why the class was scheduled for the last period.

Unlike the past month, however, Akaashi found himself ambushed in the stairwell leading from the second to the third floor of the science building.

“Akaashi-kun!”

He turned around to face the girl. From the color of her ribbon, it would appear she was a second year, but seeing as Bokuto's class was held up, she must be from another class.

“Yes?”

“I… um… I heard you were a particularly strong Sentinel… and… you haven't found a Guide yet…”

She took a deep breath. “It must be difficult for you, being a Level 4 Sentinel. I'm a Level 4 Guide myself, so the nurse told me to come find you… He said… suggested... well, if you're alright with it, of course, we could form a temporary bond so you can begin to use your Senses… it's not good to rely on those suppressants for too long… according to him, that is. And it'll be temporary, since I haven't found my Sentinel yet and I'm not saying you have to or anything but… I mean, if you're alright with me… we Level 4s have to help each other out, he said…”

Akaashi frowned. She made a good point. The number of Level 4s in their school could be counted on two hands, even after he came online. Sometimes, a Level 4 Guide would have very strong shields like Bokuto, but if the school nurse had asked this girl to approach him, Akaashi would wager a guess that she was on suppressants as well. And she was right, or rather, the nurse was right (why wouldn't he be?) about how they should not stay on suppressants too long. Temporary bonds were as such often prescribed as a makeshift solution for them. It did help that the Guides generally had better control over the bond, allowing the eventual dissolution of the bond to be painless.

Despite all those rationales backed by empirical fact, a part of Akaashi that had been silenced since the day he became a Sentinel roused and expressed its displeasure at the notion.

It was as if a deep, instinctive part of him physically rejected even the thought of bonding with her. Even Akaashi was shocked by that visceral resentment that was surely unfounded - this girl had done absolutely nothing to offend him, after all, so why did the thought of making a temporary bond that would only be a win-win situation for both of them bother him so much?

The answer came in a wave of relief that crashed over him not unlike the arms that draped over his shoulder in a protective (possessive?) embrace Akaashi would have thought uncharacteristic of the Bokuto he had come to know. Not far into the future, however, he would learn that this was very characteristic of him.

At that moment, though, all he could think was, _ah, this is why. Because I don't want to bond with anyone but Bokuto._

“Akaashi! Here you are! I was beginning to worry since you didn't show up, so I was waiting until I got an awesome idea of coming to meet you halfway!” Bokuto's tone indicated none of the aggressiveness of his actions. He must have done so unconsciously then.

The girl's mouth opened into an o shape and her eyes lit up with understanding. She bowed respectfully and left, but not before wishing Akaashi and “his” Guide, “all the best.”

“Say, Bokuto-san…” Akaashi began.

He was not allowed to continue, for the next thing he knew, his mouth was covered by the Guide's mouth. Okay, so maybe he was consciously possessive then.

When Bokuto finally pulled back, and Akaashi got his mental faculties back, his first instinct was to admonish the Guide for doing it in public.

Bokuto did not even allow him that chance, beating him to say, “Bond with me, Akaashi.”

 

* * *

 

“By the way, that was awesome, for a first kiss,” Bokuto flitted around Akaashi as they walked home.

Akaashi held his gaze intently and said, “That wasn’t my first kiss, Bokuto-san.”

“What!?” Bokuto leaped away in shock, then ran back and gripped the Sentinel’s shoulders, holding him at arm’s length. “How could you, Akaashi? A first kiss is meant to be spent with someone special! You can’t just give it away!”

“Hm… It wasn’t really given away by choice… More like taken from me while I was… preoccupied.”

Bokuto let out an exasperated gasp. “Who dared to do such a horrible thing to you!? Tell Bokuto-san, and I’ll avenge your lost first kiss for you! I bet they knew they had no chance with someone as pretty as Akaashi, so they stole it from you while you were unaware.”

He watched as Akaashi’s expression hardened and he averted his gaze, so he shook the younger boy, demanding the name of the culprit once more.

“I’m afraid even this is beyond you, Bokuto-san. You see,” Akaashi leaned in, and Bokuto relaxed his arms, lowering his head so his ears were next to Akaashi’s mouth, “that person was you, Bokuto-san.”

For the second time in two minutes, Bokuto gasped. “Me? But, when?”

Akaashi leaned back, distancing himself, and pouted. “How mean, Bokuto-san, how could you have forgotten our first kiss?”

“I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have forgotten!” Bokuto wailed, grabbing the Sentinel and holding him close. “No, wait, I shouldn’t have stolen your first kiss! But, no, when did that happen?”

“You really don’t remember?”

“No…”

Akaashi wrapped his arms around Bokuto’s waist. “It was when you first pulled me out of a zone.”

“...!!!” A light bulb seemed to light up above Bokuto’s dual-toned hair. “I’m sorry I forgot!! Am I a bad Guide for it?”

“The worst.”

“Aggaaaaashiiiiiiii!!!”

“But I still fully plan on bonding with you.”

 

* * *

 

Bokuto had brought it up a few days later, after they sat down and bonded for real.

“Akaashi, can I ask you something?”

“What is it, Bokuto-san?”

“We bonded... right?”

“That’s right. I can feel you in my head, and I don’t need my suppressants anymore.”

“So why don’t I feel any different?”

Akaashi put down his lunch box. “I had a feeling this would happen…”

Bokuto shot the-his-Sentinel a look of confusion. “What do you mean?”

“It seems like we might have been partially bonded since that first time you pulled me out of that zone.”

“What!? And you never told me!? Hold on, no, wait, how did you know? No, that’s not the right question, I should be asking, how did we bond without me knowing!?”

Akaashi chuckled at his Guide’s panic, much to said Guide’s chagrin. “I knew I felt a connection with you since that time. I’m guessing you must have anchored my senses that time, instead of forming a temporary shield to mute the Sentinel’s senses until medics can get to them with medication. That’s what Guides usually do to pull a Sentinel not their own out of a zone.

“In any case, our instincts must have deemed us compatible and begun building a quasi-bond. The only reason the bond wasn’t completed was because I hadn’t been conscious enough to do my part in the anchoring process. Both Sentinel and Guide must be active participants in the process of building a bond, after all.”

Bokuto looked fascinated at his Sentinel’s analysis and explanation. Almost too fascinated.

“Bokuto-san, you look like you’re hearing this for the first time in your life.”

“That’s because I am! Akaashi, you’re so smart!”

Akaashi sighed. “Just so you know, I’m sure all these things were mentioned during your Guide classes. Which I am now convinced you paid no attention during,” he muttered the last sentence under his breath.

“Really? Never heard it.”

For someone who had never heard all the theories behind Guiding, Bokuto had succeeded in not only pulling an exceptionally sensitive Sentinel out of a deep zone of 4 senses, but also creating a solid quasi-bond with said Sentinel. If that did not speak volumes about Bokuto’s raw talent as a Guide, then Akaashi was not sure anything else could.

And for the first time in his life, but definitely not the last, Akaashi realized that he was really lucky to enter a bond with a Guide like Bokuto.

 

* * *

 

One of the things they learned quickly after bonding was that despite supposedly being the empath in the relationship, Bokuto was mostly ignorant of Akaashi’s feelings when they separated. This was a given, and reflected in his average finesse level of 3, which measured a Sentinel’s or Guide’s ability to use their bond.

Bokuto’s level 3 finesse meant that he could sense the bond and feel when strong emotions came over it, as well as follow it to his Sentinel. Akaashi’s finesse rating was higher, on a 4, meaning that on top of all that, he could sense all of Bokuto’s emotions and thoughts, not just the strong ones. Had he been more capable with the bond, he would have been able to send his Guide thoughts over the bond.

For the most part, Bokuto’s lack in finesse was made up for by the fact that he had extremely strong shields that both protected Akaashi from unnecessary distractions of the world around him, as well as himself from his level 4 empathetic sensitivity. It kept him from emotionally breaking down every time someone around him was feeling upset that day.

It did not, however, protect either of them from his own emotions.

Akaashi had been revising for his finals in Japanese when a wave of pain and sorrow flooded through the bond, followed by a strong feeling of helplessness. Convinced Bokuto was in some serious trouble (it must be one of those awful Guides cornering him to try to get him to break it off with Akaashi again - did he have to hijack assembly one morning to dissuade them once and for all?), the Sentinel wasted no time in grabbing a jacket and dashing out of his house. It did not matter that it was already 10pm at night. All he could think of now was to get to his Guide as quickly as possible and deal with the problem.

He tracked his Guide down through their bond, following it until he found himself outside an unfamiliar door. Strange, he thought, why would a Guide invite Bokuto to their house just to lecture him? Frowning, he rang the doorbell and took a step back.

Soft padding got louder from inside, until the door swung open outwards, violently. But Akaashi was equally as violent when he grabbed the door, ready to swing his other fist at Bokuto’s attacker.

At least, he was ready until his mind registered the one at the door to be one Bokuto himself, and a crying mess at that.

“G- Geiji?” Bokuto sniffled, then wiped his tears with the heel of his right hand. “Whad are you doin’ ‘ere?”

Akaashi’s frown deepened as he stepped forward, leaning up to study Bokuto’s face. “What the hell happened to you, Koutarou?”

“Oh, nothin’. I was jus-” He gestured for the Sentinel to come in, sniffling all the while. “I was watchin’ *sniff* this thing... on tv…”

“Huh!? What the hell kind of thing got you into this state?” Akaashi was both exasperated and relieved. He all but stormed down the hallway into the living room of the apartment, Bokuto trailing behind him after locking the front door, and came face to face with a volleyball match on the television screen, paused.

Bokuto’s tears seemed to have stopped flowing, but he was still sniffling like a kid. Akaashi looked around, found a box of tissues and grabbed a bunch out. Dividing his find in two, he stuffed one half in Bokuto’s hand, instructed him to blow his nose, and used the other half to wipe away at his tears.

“Are you an idiot? Who cries watching volleyball matches?”

“It’s cuz *sniff* they’re my favorite team… and I already know… they will lose…”

“So you already know the outcome?”

“I’ve watched this match… over ten times…”

Akaashi sighed. Only Bokuto, he thought, could watch a match that many times, know exactly how things would turn out, yet still cry. A glance at the screen told him that the match was only on the first set, the score 23-20 in Bokuto’s favorite team’s favor.

“Come on then, let’s finish watching this match.”

Bokuto stopped in the middle of blowing his nose. “You’ll watch it with me?”

“I was going to study for my Japanese finals on Monday, but at the rate you’re bombarding me with all your sadness, I’m not going to get any studying done.”

Akaashi watched as various expressions fought for dominance on the Guide’s face, with their bond telling him exactly how Bokuto was both happy at his offer, yet conflicted because as a good and responsible sempai, he should not be getting in the way of his kouhai’s studying. At the same time, he also knew Akaashi was good at Japanese, and should be fine. Still, it was late, and he should be home sleeping, even if he was not studying.

Fully aware of Bokuto’s thoughts, Akaashi placed his hands on his shoulders and sat him down on the couch. “I’m not going anywhere until this match finishes, and you go to sleep.”

He then proceeded to sit next to Bokuto, pressing his shoulder close to the other’s (pointedly ignoring his astonished expression at his sudden physical contact) and folded his legs next to himself.

“Go on, I know you want to.”

Bokuto moved his arm back, allowing Akaashi to fall against his torso before wrapping his arm around around his shoulder.

Their contact assured Akaashi that his Guide was fine, but also allowed said Guide to get a handle on his own emotions.

They somehow fell asleep in that position before the match was even over. Needless to say, Akaashi woke up the next morning with his legs dead.

But when he looked down (for once) at Bokuto, seeing his Guide half sprawled over him (they must have somehow ended up lying down halfway through the night) and feeling calm ripples of contentment coming at him over the bond, he could not bring himself to regret so.

 

* * *

 

“Why did you propose the bond when you rejected me the first time?”

“Because even though I don't think I'm a good Guide, with Akaashi, I feel like the best. I refuse to let anyone else have you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonus:
> 
> “Oh, by the way, just so you know, you didn’t have to kiss me that time.”
> 
> “...!?!?”
> 
> “I wasn’t zoned in my sense of taste.”
> 
> * * *
> 
> Hi everyone, thanks for reading to the end, and I hope you enjoyed it! Here's some world-building that I couldn't fit into the story that I thought I'd just put in here:
> 
> Firstly, regarding Akaashi's first zone, Bokuto actually pulled him out using a technique known as "Anchoring", but in fact most Guides are taught in classes (that he surely didn't listen to) how to Mute. That's why he wound up half-bonded to Akaashi, but in that state he cannot share his shields with the Sentinel yet, so he couldn't leave Akaashi's side until he'd gotten suppressants.
> 
> Regarding the levels testing, there are 3 categories for both Sentinels and Guides. For Sentinels, it's sensitivity (sensory), psychic power (ability to execute psionic attacks) and finesse (Akaashi rates 5, 3 and 4 respectively); for Guides, it's sensitivity (empathetic), psychic power (how strong his shields are) and finesse (Bokuto rates 4, 3 and 5 respectively). Finesse, as explained briefly in the fic, is their ability to use their bond: level 2 = can feel the bond and follow the bond to find their partner, level 3 = can feel strong emotions and follow the bond, level 4 and above = can actively use to read other's emotions through the bond and follow the bond, level 5 = can send emotions on top of everything else
> 
> Of course, these numbers are simplifications of a whole scale, and the average of these numbers determines their Level (both of them are Level 4).
> 
> Suppressants are given to those who test 4 or higher on the sensitivity scale, because it actually interferes with their ability to function in society, so Akaashi and the unnamed girl are on suppressants. They're not supposed to stay on them for more than half a year, because it might result in permanent damage to their abilities in the long run. That's where the temporary bond comes into play.
> 
> Additionally, Sentinels who test 4 or higher on the psychic power scale are required to join the army (let's imagine that Japan doesn't have a law forbidding them from having an army in the first place in this world), so Akaashi actually barely escaped that fate. Guides with strong shields, on the other hand, aren't required to, since their shields can't be extended over more than themselves and their bonded.
> 
> For Akaashi, being put on suppressants doesn't affect his volleyball since he's never actually played with his senses online before, so he does make it as a reserve setter during tryouts, but after him and Bokuto bonded, they had to spend a long time practicing by themselves to help him learn learn how to use those senses to their team's advantage. When they came back, they managed to lead the team to multiple wins in the Spring Tournament, even being upgraded to first string halfway through the tournament (not quite starter, because there were still the year 3s, but at least they would be subbed in more often).


End file.
